Althouse: "What's the benefit of being hungry?"

September 12, 2019

"What's the benefit of being hungry?"

39 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Sounds like common sense. Men hunting an animal to eat it cannot stop to feast until they have caught and killed the new food.; 9/12/19, 7:33 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: OED on "wretch" from first post: "As you wend your way through the world, you wretch, go naked, hungry, barefoot, and phoneless."

As AA wends her way through the blog today, she's covered phoneless, naked (Yeli), and now hungry. Wretches are waiting for barefoot.; 9/12/19, 7:46 AM
tim maguire said...: Intermittent fasting has been a popular idea for several years--not eating for ~16 hours a day on some kind of regular basis. Usually this just means skipping breakfast and no snacking, which some people do every day, but doing it even once or twice a week supposedly gives benefits.

The clip doesn't go into any detail about what he is proposing, but I assume it's this.; 9/12/19, 7:47 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: I've lost 25 pounds in the last 3 months. 20 more to go.

I've been counting calories and I've increased the length and difficulty of my workouts. By the standards of today's lard butts, I was slim and fit before I began losing weight.

But, I was noticing that my normal old fart health problems were made worse by my weight. Mobility restricted too.

I fast a day here and there and most days I eat only two meals. No candy bars, pastries, etc. I've just about banned sugar from my diet.; 9/12/19, 7:49 AM
Fernandinande said...: He's selling all kinds of stuff, not just the idea of a restricted diet.

I'd be less dubious if his book had an honest title.; 9/12/19, 8:05 AM
SDaly said...: As Socrates notes, being hungry also makes even plain food very satisfying when you eat it.; 9/12/19, 8:06 AM
Gahrie said...: My problem isn't what I eat, it's what I drink.; 9/12/19, 8:31 AM
Seeing Red said...: The benefit is It makes you appreciate your next meal.; 9/12/19, 8:45 AM
Wince said...: Rogan seemed slightly annoyed the guy didn’t come prepared with practical specifics.; 9/12/19, 8:47 AM
Kelly said...: I don’t know about this guy, but I’ve lost 24 pounds with intermittent fasting. I don’t count calories or do keto, I just try to be sensible about what I eat. I have about 15 pounds more to go. Quitting smoking and going through menopause at the same time really packed on the pounds. Fasting is so easy and commonsensical that there really doesn’t need to be a guru to sell it.; 9/12/19, 8:51 AM
Tina Trent said...: Weird how obsessed Rogan is with body transformation. It's a kind of man anorexia.; 9/12/19, 9:06 AM
supermagicman said...: I don't care if that guy is schilling for something, dude is 50 and he looks like he's 30, I'm buying whatever he's selling.; 9/12/19, 9:23 AM
El Supremo said...: I love being hungry. It's my favorite state of mind, especially after a long day of work or play. That feeling that you earned the right to eat whatever you want is a great thing. I suppose it comes from a lifetime of fighting fat. I've been winning that fight most of my life, but I know I have a natural tendency to be fat, and I've worked hard against it. I think it may be thing for everyone in our culture. We all want to be thinner, even those who really don't have to worry about it. Knowing you have gone all day without eating any calories is like being ahead 4 touchdowns in the fourth quarter.; 9/12/19, 9:33 AM
Nonapod said...: For the past two months I've done 42 hour long fasts twice a week and eat sensibly the rest of the time (I try to keep under 2000 calories a day). I've lost 30 pounds so far.

Basically I don't eat from 6pm Sunday evening to 12pm (lunchtime) Tuesday, and then from 6pm Wednesday to 12pm Friday. I won't lie, that second evening can be a little rough.; 9/12/19, 9:38 AM
Original Mike said...: I've been intermittent fasting for 9 months now. One meal a day. I was already pretty lean but I've lost a further 10 lbs. Before I had to work to keep my weight down. Now it just stays down without any effort. I highly recommend it.; 9/12/19, 9:45 AM
Nancy said...: I tried IF and lasted one day.

1. I finished dinner at 7 pm, woke at 5 (like most Althouse commenters), and was sludgy and irritable until I ate something at 9.
2. No way I could work out at the gym without eating something -- I would have killed myself with the barbell. so my whole morning routine was shot.; 9/12/19, 9:58 AM
tommyesq said...: Nancy, the first day is the worst, then the hunger dies down considerably and you start to feel energized.; 9/12/19, 10:04 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: I've read some interesting studies combining intermittent fasting with chemo for fighting cancer. The idea is that healthy cells, when faced with fasting, switch to "low power" mode, to consume fewer resources. The cancer cells have lost this ability because they are always trying to replicate. So the cancer cells get hit worse by the chemo, because they are already stressed by the low-resource environment, while the healthy cells are less affected, because they are in low-power mode.

Shown some promise in animal testing for some types of cancer. Human testing has shown it to be not harmful, but has not yet tested for effectiveness.; 9/12/19, 10:08 AM
FrankiM said...: IF has numerous benefits, it’s not simply just being hungry, but being hungry does send certain signals to the cells and puts the body under a good type of stress that helps with autophagy.; 9/12/19, 10:09 AM
ndspinelli said...: IF is how I have lived the last 4 years. It not only helps you lose weight, it helps you maintain the weight loss, which is even more important IMHO. I eat from ~1p-7p, 2 meals. It is incredibly easy for me.; 9/12/19, 10:11 AM
eric said...: Y'all are making me hungry; 9/12/19, 10:22 AM
Wince said...: eric said...
Y'all are making me hungry.

At least you didn't say "you guys".; 9/12/19, 10:39 AM
Sebastian said...: It's hard enough to keep up my weight. Now I have to start fasting too?; 9/12/19, 10:41 AM
Nancy said...: Ok, suppose I'm not so hungry and angry on Day 2. Postponing exercise till 10 or later is still a day-killer, and that's for only a 14 hour fast.; 9/12/19, 11:04 AM
Bryant said...: I started experimenting with this and it really works well. I now do most of my cycling fasted and can ride 100 miles fasted and still not eat anything until lunch time. It works best if you start with a smaller window and then slowly go longer and add in more exercise. It is really great to go out on a ride and not need anything except water until you're done.; 9/12/19, 11:19 AM
LA_Bob said...: @Ignorance is Bliss:

Very interesting idea, and the rationale makes sense. Do you have a link or two for suggested reading? Thanks.; 9/12/19, 11:26 AM
Fernandinande said...: It's hard enough to keep up my weight. Now I have to start fasting too?

I fast 8 or 10 times a day, no problem. The more often you do it, the easier it is!

The spiel here was living longer, not losing weight per se (or ipso fatso).

After about age 65, people tend to live longer if they're kinda fat:

Overweight Older People Live Longer

[O]lder adults are likely to be or to become overweight or obese. However, higher weight is not associated with worse health in this age group.

"For example, Arterburn et al. found that overweight was associated with better health status and quality of life than normal weight in a study of older veterans. [10] Weight loss advice is routinely given to patients of all ages even though the literature does not support the idea that obesity or overweight are strong risk factors beyond age 65."

++; 9/12/19, 11:34 AM
Fernandinande said...: I wonder about the group of not-fat people who don't live as long as fat people. Perhaps they should be treated as two groups, one group is not fat because they're not healthy (smoke cigs/ drink too much), and the other group is not fat because they eat less and better, and exercise.

I doubt if those two groups have the same health and lifespan, and the second group might out-live fat people on average, but the not-fat average is lowered because of the first group.; 9/12/19, 11:44 AM
ndspinelli said...: Unless you're Type 1 diabetic you can exercise while fasting. I walk 5-8 miles at a brisk pace every morning while fasting. High protein for my first meal in early afternoon is key for me.; 9/12/19, 11:54 AM
Kelly said...: Nancy, you move your eating window is all. You don’t even have to do it everyday. But it’s true that fasting isn’t for everyone.; 9/12/19, 12:18 PM
Yancey Ward said...: I have done it in the past- the first fast is the most difficult (especially the first 16 hours or so), it gets much easier after that has been my experience. I don't do regular fasts, though- I just eat small meals slowly.; 9/12/19, 12:32 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "you can exercise while fasting. I walk 5-8 miles at a brisk pace every morning while fasting. High protein for my first meal in early afternoon is key for me."

I used do this when I was still working- my workout came in the morning before the work day started, so I would not have eaten anything for at least 10 hours prior. Since I have retired, I start my days later and have a coffee and a small snack to go with it, and then about 4 hours later do my workout, and then eat my first real meal of the day, always high in protein. Then I eat dinner around 9 p.m. about 4-5 hours before I go to bed.; 9/12/19, 12:38 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Bob said...

Very interesting idea, and the rationale makes sense. Do you have a link or two for suggested reading?

Try this:
Cancer and Fasting/Calorie Restriction; 9/12/19, 12:48 PM
bagoh20 said...: Isn't fasting for 16 hours nothing more than not eating after 8pm and skipping breakfast? I do that all the time just by being busy and forgetful.; 9/12/19, 2:09 PM
Scott Patton said...: Well that's good, cause I'm hungry basically all the time, no matter how much I eat. More often than not, eating make me hungrier.; 9/12/19, 2:34 PM
ken in tx said...: I used to fast to meet mandatory weight limits in the Air Force. I once went 13 days with nothing but water and vitamins. The first three days were pretty bad because it gave me blinding headaches. After that I just felt tired. After the weigh-in, my weight would go right back to what it was--about 10 lb above the limit--even though I didn't eat any more than most other people. I am overweight now but I don't worry about it any more. I'm retired.; 9/12/19, 5:43 PM
MaxedOutMama said...: I think the shorter eating window works best for older people. If someone wants to try it, start cutting by two hours and work to 8/16 or 6/18 in stages.

Yes you can exercise without eating if you do this. The major benefit is that it shifts your metabolic "set" to burning fat, seems to me. Another large benefit for older people is that it often increases HGH (human growth hormone) so it does have an anti-aging effect.

I'm very comfortable doing this, and it does seem to adjust your weight "set point" down, and you do not have to follow an extreme diet when you do eat. You'll be hungry for real food!

Obviously you want to consciously drink enough water, and obviously if you genuinely have Type 1 diabetes it is not for you. If you have Type II or pre-diabetes, this tactic often reverses the condition, because it cuts carrying insulin levels. For those who do have high insulin levels, first cut the sugar and then ease into it, because otherwise you may develop low blood sugar. Type II diabetics on insulin sometimes do this, but you have to adjust medications and you should do it under a doctor's supervision.

The major result for me was better energy levels, effortless loss of fat around the middle, and a large gain in muscle tissue without additional exercise. So effectively, I am younger! I'll never go back. I think it depends on your individual constitution and genetics, though.; 9/12/19, 8:43 PM
wary said...: Am 70. Been doing 16 /8 for 4 months. I just note when I stopped eating or drinking. Whiskey is my nightcap
Then subtract 8 hours and hold off eating until at least 16 hours have passed. Try to eat healthy but will have bread and ice cream if I have the urge. Basically I skip breakfast and have a late lunch. Lost a belt loop already. Energy and alertness are good. Recommended; 9/12/19, 11:39 PM
M Jordan said...: We already institutionalized fasting when we ate our supper (yes, supper) at 5:00, then no evening snacking until the next morning when we broke the fast. To be honest, I personally hate all these food/diet/exercise fads and especially those who yammer on about them and even more especially those making money off them. Jesus said what you put in your mouth doesn’t contaminate you but what comes out of it does.; 9/13/19, 6:36 AM